Best Air Fryer 2019 – Buyer’s Guide

An incredibly modern and sleek looking small cooking appliance, this Morphy Richards is a brilliant answer to anyone wanting healthy food which they can still enjoy.

It has a nice capacity, so is good if all of the family want to join in on the meal. It will fry, bake and roast with just a teaspoon of oil, so you can all tuck in knowing that it is a healthy alternative to other methods.

There are preset programmes for making chips, chicken, vegetables, pizza and cupcakes, so you won’t have to experiment for several uses before you get it right. Rapid Air Technology means the heat is spread evenly throughout the cooking chamber, so you get perfect results with no extra fuss.

It stops when the time is up so you don’t need to keep a beady eye over the proceedings, although you may have to occasionally open the drawer to give the food a shake as there is no automatic rotation. This isn’t a massive issue, however. It is easily washed, although beware that the cooking times in the guide seem to be a little short for perfection.

Air fryers are not known for their retro style, but this Swan model does indeed tick that box (as much as possible).

It is perfect for anyone who already owns many of the small Swan appliances in their kitchen, or indeed anyone who just wants something which looks a little different. Or, if you want something which holds a lot of food – at 3.2kg, the capacity of this fryer is almost double some of the leading models.

You need a maximum of 1tsp oil to get the cooking going, even when you are making a meal for all the family and it is filled to the brim with food. All you need to do is pre-set the correct cooking temperature and time for your food. It will go up to 200 degrees.

Choose from black, cream or red to match your other appliances and kitchen accessories, and it is a nice size to pop away in the cupboard if you don’t like leaving things out. All in all, a great product at a great price.

Air fryers are brilliant for anyone who wants to eat what they love but are conscious about how it is made. This handy little device has nine automatic programmes, so everything can be cooked perfectly.

Just tap your preferred mode for whatever you are cooking, and let the airfryer do the work. Thanks to the touchscreen interface, it is very easy to pick. We particularly loved the two 1-meal-in-1-go settings – pick the wok for making delicious stir-fries or the world food setting for tagines and curries which need a little more attention and infusion.

Everything will be evenly cooked as well, thanks to the automatic stirring. You can even make use of the Delayed Start function, which will help you ensure your food is ready for when you get home. Or, if someone is running late, the Keep Warm option will allow you to lock in the heat without drying out or overdoing the food.

We love the versatility and ease of use. No matter what you want to cook, it is probably possible. And it is all stress-free, too, thanks to the preset functions which take the hassle out of temperature tuning. And it is easily cleaned. To be honest, it is pretty much perfect – if you’re willing to pay the price for perfection.

Referred to by many as the King of air fryers, this Tefal model is the latest in a whole host of ActiFry’s.

One thing which puts it ahead of its competitors is the use of a paddle, which rotates food without the need to do any shaking of the basket yourself.

Even though the design is not as sleek and modern as the other fryers reviewed, it does allow for a viewing window which is incredibly useful to prevent you having to pull out the fryer drawer constantly.

This allows you to check on the progress of your stews, casseroles, stir-fry or dessert with ease. There is also a safety locking lid, so you can rest easy that it won’t cause any harm to your household.

Don’t be worried about it being too complicated to use; with only two buttons, the ActiFry will do all of the work for you. It beeps when ready, so you can leave it to do its job.

Allowing you to enjoy perfectly cooked food with the addition of little or no oil, this Philips model is perfect for any household conscious about the health impact of fried food cooked the conventional way. And its size means the whole family can be fed in one go.

Thanks to the Twin Turbostar technology, all food in the basket is constantly exposed to the hot circulating air. Even when food is piled up, there is no need to continually remove the basket and shake the contents, which is a downside of so many other air fryers.

Hot air from above will also aid the crisping process of your food while making sure it stays perfect on the inside. Just choose one of the four pre-set modes, which are perfect for frozen chips, meat, fish and drumsticks.

The QuickClean basket includes a removable non-stick mesh, and the drawer and basket are dishwasher safe. The Philips Actifry app contains over 200 fabulous recipes to give you some dinnertime inspiration.

With a temperature range between 80°C to 200°C, this is one of the most adaptable air fryers on the market. It also has a massive 5-litre capacity, so it really is the best for a large family too.

Making it easy to enjoy fast food without the guilt, the Power Air Fryer uses super-hot cyclonic air technology to cook your food, meaning very little oil is required.

You can also grill, bake, sauté and roast, so there is no need to debate as to whether you would get a lot of use out of it. Food can be ready up to 70% faster than with using conventional methods, and without the hassle of preheating any ovens too.

Simply add your food to the non-stick basket, slot it into the unit and choose one of seven pre-programmed settings to get going. There is also the flexibility to adjust settings manually. A digital control panel offers complete precision.

With a 4.3L capacity pot and 3.2L capacity basket, you can cook food which is not only healthy but without breaking the bank, as this model is a great budget buy.

The temperature ranges from 80 to 200°C, which is usually only found in higher-priced models. All you need to do is make sure you regularly shake the contents of the basket during cooking, and your food will come out evenly cooked.

It is also more economical than a traditional oven, requiring no preheating and cooking food much quicker.

The only downside is that the on/off button is also the start button; once the time is all set it can be easy to hold the start button for too long, meaning the appliance turns off and all settings are lost.

Air Pulse Technology means that this fryer uses upper heating technology and a fan to circulate hot air around your food at a very high speed. This air, which reaches up to 200°C, cooks food thoroughly and evenly.

With the addition of little or no oil to the process, this air fryer really does earn the ‘Low Fat’ tagline. The drawer also pulls out rather than having to lift any lids, so the fryer is easy to access and also safe, and the basket can be shaken for even cooking.

You aren’t just limited to chips and other fried foods; side dishes, puddings, fish and sauces.

The temperature is easy to control and can range from 150°C to the maximum. It is another great all-rounder and can cook everything from chips to steaks to fish.